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Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Favourite Annuals and or Perennials 2011 ?

Ok ... this may be a bit "loud" as an extra large picture .. but .. this plant has an extra loud place in my garden heart from last year's trials .. after hearing my garden buddy Barry aka Teza go on about what gorgeous plants these are 'spigelia marilandica" aka Indian Pinks .. well I had to try it out on a test drive .. I was worried it might not be happy in my garden (insecurity complex with plants I really want to be happy and bloom in my garden!).
So .. Canning Perennials delivered a gorgeous healthy plant (as always, thanks Chris!) and this was the result .. the blooms went on and on all season. I only hope that this weird winter weather hasn't killed it ! .. If so I know I would get more because I am now hooked by it !

Yes .. another BIG picture .. but Sweet Autumn clematis mixed with Henrii ?
Impact in a small and large way .. SA is a clematis that will survive just about anything and keep smiling at you .. like snowflakes in summer some how .. and Henrii ? just a beautiful large flowered clematis that looks perfect snuggled in with SA !

Purslane is a new annual to me and WOW ! I could not ask for a more perfect punishment absorbing plant available .. it survives terracotta pots that dry out on a whim any time .. and these plants (especially in this colour) look fantastic .. pair them up with hens'n'chicks and you have so little work with so much impact it has to be some sort of garden sin .. right ?

Flowering kale and Diamond Frost euphorbia ... both easy care and so darn pretty !
I am thinking the euphorbia is not only for pots .. even though they look amazing in terracotta pots .. I'm thinking a few well located in-ground plantings will look great for this year too.
Flowering kale went straight through December .. now how much more can you ask from an annual .. it was frozen and thawed many times and only when our true ice storm conditions swept in, did it get hit with the "no return" button .. I want more !

I have to mention that I truly loved how gorgeous my Japanese Maples looked this past year .. Crimson Queen was stunning and against different ground covers and plants she was remarkable .. even the run of the mill Dusty Miller was a fantastic foil with that intense red colour !
There are so many plants , vines, roses, shrubs, trees ... in my garden that I love but these were just a few to fire up some real garden talk in the middle of this blah winter time : )

Boy, it would be hard to pick a favorite, though my favorite newcomer in 2011 was my agastache 'Heat Wave.' It took the summer's heat and drought without skipping a beat. I do love your Indian pinks--I've seen them once before on another blog; always good to hear another recommendation. And Henry and Sweet Autumn together--did you plan this? They certainly make a great pair!

By the way, my ruffled kale is still looking good in spite of being smothered in snow this past weekend.

Joy:Thanks for the shout out regarding the Spigelia. Years ago, before I knew better, I vowed that I would not have red or canary yellow flowers in my garden, and well, then along comes my Spi Guy as I like to refer to it as, and voila!I love how you have combined the two Clematis..... very effective.

Hello Darla girl : )Yes I really loved seeing Henrii with Sweet Autumn .. but this year I am taking Henrii and Niobe off that arbour because SA and my Kiwi vine are monsters and coming from opposite directions so they can duke it out between themselves this time and not smother my other two ! haha

Thanks you Patricia : ) They did make a pretty combination !

Lisa you don't have an Indian Pink ? .. You have to have one girl .. they last so long all season .. and if you pinch them back they double stalk and bloom some more .. I was very impressed with it !

Rose girl I will have to find that hyssop ! It sounds perfect for our summers here .. ugh ! You have to have some Indian Pinks girl !I did plan this combination but I didn't really see what was coming with how aggressive SA and my Kiwi vine would be .. so Henrii and Niobe have to be relocated so they can have a chance !

Hello Barry : ) Funny how we can vow a certain rule about our garden and then find a deal breaker ? LOL .. Yes I do love the combo of clematis but I have to break up the club this year so I am glad to have gotten a good picture of it to keep : )

Eileen girl I so know what you mean .. even though our winter should seem shorter with such great days we had without snow .. it still wears us down not being able to garden ! BIG sigh !

Karen girl too funny ! Yup with the pictures I feel are worth the BIG impact I like popping them in like this .. thank you girl !

Bravo!!! Exactly what I needed on this dreary, raining-cats-and-dogs day! The two clemmies together are just stunning. I've never tried Spigelia or Diamond Frost. Maybe 2012 will be the year. :) Great post Joy Girl. Stay warm!

Gracie you have to try Diamond Frost euphorbia .. I started two years ago and I was hooked .. you can have it with other plants, but I love it's impact alone especially in terracotta. The Indian Pinks really surprised me with how well it it flowered and clipping it back brought more flower buds .. but with this weird weather .. I hope I don't lose it ;-(

Hi Joy, These kind of plant reviews are really helpful. I so wanted to get a Sweet Autumn clematis, but was unable to find one last year. I clicked your link and see that I can get one from Gardenimports. Thanks for including the link! Their stuff is pricey, but I think I might just have to splurge and order one. I also like it mixed with the larger white clematis. India pinks might another be a nice addition for next year as well.

Thank you Jennifer girl !I left a comment on your last post which was PERFECT .. your post that is !LOLIf you hold off ordering from Garden Import you might be able to find Sweet Autumn at one of the garden centers .. I bought both of mine from Canadian Tire at a great price .. and yes you have to have Indian Pinks girl .. they WOWED me !